Gas-machine



(No Model.)

W. G. STRONG.

GAS MAGHINE. No. 311,858. Patented Feb. 3, 1885.

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\VILLIAM CYRUS STRONG, OF READFIELD, MAlNE.

GAS-MACHINE.

- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No- 311,858, dated February 3 1885.

Application filed January 25,1884. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM C. STRONG, of Readfield, in the county of Kennebec and State of Maine, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gas-Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My improvements relate to that class of gas machines in which an illuminating or heating gas is made by carbureting air with a volatile liquid-such as gasoline-the air'being driven through the carburetor by the descent of a bell into a water-tank, the gasoline receptacle, carburetor, and other parts being waterjacketed within the bell.

.The object of my invention is to provide a simple, cheap, and safe machine for the manufacture of a combustible gas specially adapted to the use of jewelers, dentists, chemists, tinmen, and others who require a constant or occasional heating-fiame-as from a Bunsen or other burner-connected with the apparatus, which is more specially intended to be of a portable character, but which may vary in size or capacity as required.

My invention consists, first, in a novel construction of an air-trap by which air is admitted to the bell; second, in a novel contrivance of a gas-trap for the inlet of air from the bell to the carburetor, and at the same time pre venting the escape of the gas by back flow through the trap; third, in an improved expansion-regulator by which the expansion of the gas within the machineby increase of temperature is provided for; fourth, in a contrivance for regulating the outflow of the gas to the burner when the bell is being lifted for recharging it with air; fifth, in a cover for the internal parts, and a gas-pipe attachment to the bell for adapting the machine to be conveniently used as a gas-holder for chemical or otherpurposes; and, sixth, in an improved construction of the carburetor to secure more complete volatilization of the gasoline, all as hereinafter fully described.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a vertical central sectional elevation of a gas machine embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the carburetor on line 00 .70, Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of the expansionregulator and gastrap, the regulator being in a more simple form than in Fig. 1.

The letter it represents a tank open at the top to receive the open-bottomed bell b, gaso- 1ine-receptacle c, expansionregulator d, and the carburetor e. The bell Z) is fitted and guided in any approved way to slide within the tank a and outside of the receptacle 0, regulator d, and the carburetor which are all constructed within one shelhj, in which there is a water-chamber, 9, below the bottom of the carburetor c. The gasoline is supplied to the holder 0 through the pipe h from above the top of the regulator d when the hell I) is removed and the plug t is taken out of said pipe. The gasoline is supplied pneumatically to the carburetor 0 through the pipe j, extending downward in the can buretor suffieiently to form a trap to provide air-space above the gasoline for the air to circulate over the surface of the same to be carbu'retcd. The dotted line It indicates about the height of the gasoline. The air is supplied to the carburetor through the pipe Z, angle-valve m, and trap or from within the bell Z), the weight of which forces the air into and through the carburetor. The trap a is a liquid-sealed case having a stand-pipe, 0, extending from directly under the top of the bell when down nearly to the bottom of the case; also having the horizontal pipe 19, Fig.

3, extending from about the middle of the case to the angle-valve m, and also having the standpipe q extending nearly from the top of the case through the bottom and into the regulator (I, said trap being located on the top of the regulator, where it is convenient of access for whatever attention it may require when the bell Z is removed. This trap n is designed to admit air from the bell 1) into the carburetor, and at the same time to prevent the back-flow of air and gas to the bell. The expansion-chamber (l is also provided in connection with the trap, to operate jointly with it for preventing the back-flow, and it is also contrived to cause the flow of gas to the burner while the bell is bein lifted. The stand-pipe 0 dips into a liquid substance in the bottom of the trap n, preferably glycerine, which is filled in through the standpipe up to the 2 slim level of the'plug s, or thereabout, which is employed to facilitate the filling of the trap to the desired height. The stand-pipe g has a small opening at it, through which any excess of liquid may escape into the regulator that may accrue by the absorption of moisture by the glycerine. The backfiow of the gas into the bell is prevented by the pressure of the column of liquid that rises in the standpipe when back-pressure occurs. By the pipepbeing extended nearly to the middle of the trap 11', and bythe pipes q and 0 being also located near the middle of said trap, the liquid with which the trap is sealed cannot escape after the trap has once been sealed, no matter what position the trap may be placed in. I The air is admitted to the bell through a trap at the top, consisting of the cup a, suspended below the lower end of a tube, 1), fitted in an opening through the top of the bell by the rod wand spring 00, the spring being seated on a bar, y, and liftingon the rod w by a pin, 2, to

- close the trap by pressing the cup against the lower end of the tube 22. The cup contains a disk, a, of elastic packing, to make a tight joint, and the joint may also be sealed with glycerine or other-liquid, if preferred. The pressure of the air in the bell on the cup caused by the weight of the bell also tends to close the joint tightly. The trap to is to be opened to recharge the bell with air at the same time that the bell is raised by pressure of the thumb or finger on the top of the stem wwhen the bell is lifted by the handle b. The expansionregulator d is preferably divided into two chambers, c and d, by the partitiomeflwith a small orifice, f, at the bottom of said partition,to allow water which flows into said regulator from the tank a at g to flow from one chamber into the other, according to the va rying pressure within the regulator. From chamber c,and near the top of the same,there is apipe, h, extending downward through the gasoline-holder, also through the carburetorand the bottom of tank a, and communicating freely with the air outside. The function of this regulator 61 is twofold: first,to provide for expansion, and, second, to provide for a more continuous flow of gas to the burners when the bell is being raised for recharging it with air. The water flows into the regulator from the tank a at g to such height as the pressure of the air entering chamber (2 from the trap n will permit. When the gas Within the machine expands by increase of temperature, some of the water is driven from chamber d into'cthrough passage f. Alittle also escapes through passage into the tank, thus allowing space for the expansion of the gas with only very slight increase of pressure. The continuous flow of gas to the burner is maintained while the bell b is being raised for recharging it with air by the pressure of the higher level of water in chamber 0, flowing back into chamber (1 when said bell is raised, said higher level being maintained in chamber c by thepressure of the air forced into chamber d by the weight of the bell. The dotted lines t" indicate the water-levels in the chambers c and d of the regulator. The pipe h serves as a vent to chamber 0, allowing the water to rise and fall therein accordingto the pressure in the chamber (1. The regulator may be used without the partition 6 and vent h, as represented in Fig. 8, to provide for expansion, the continuous flow of the gas to the burner being in some measure provided for by the expansion. of the gas in the several chambers ofthe machine.

The carburetor is constructed with the spiral partition j, by which the air which enters through pipe I is caused to travel along. a

circuitous route over the gasoline and through any fibrous material which may be placed between the coils of the partition on its way to thedischarge-pipe 7c, and along the route I propose to arrange cross-partitions Z, having i the openings m and a, the lower openings, n, being designed for the flow of gasoline from the inletj along the spiral course to the center, while the upper openings, m, are designed for the flow of the gas in the opposite direction. The center space will containgasoline that has been longest in contact with the air, thereforeleast volatile, so that the air comes in contact with the least volatile portion firstwhen it is most eager, so to speak, to absorb the vapor, and thus the more complete and uniform volatilization of the gasoline will be secured. The pipe 7o has a cock, 0, near the top, and a drip-plug, s,where it extends under the bell and is to be extended to the burner.

The letter 19 represents a cover or cap which may be set over the internal parts of the machine, as shown in Fig. 1, and the bell is provided with a pipe-connection, q.having a stopcock, so that when it may be desired the machine may be used as a gas-holder for any purpose, to be filled through the pipe-connection g at any time when the air has been expelled by the descent of the bell. The machine may also be used,with or without the cap 19, to produce an air-blast through the connection q for a blow-pipe and for other purposes. The cap 1) is fitted removably, so that it may be readily taken off when not wanted.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The bell I) being removed from the machine, wateris poured intotank at until it rises around the carburetor e and gasoline-chamber c and into chambers c and d through passages f and g, and said chambers c and d are about half filled. The stop-cock 0 and angle-valve m being then tightly closed, gasoline is poured into the holder 0 through pipe h in any convenient quantity, the filling of the carburetor 6 being prevented by the gas inclosed therein. The angle-valve m is then opened after plugi is replaced, and the trap n is charged with glycerine up to the plug 8, and the bell I) replaced. As the bell b settles down, air is driven through trap n to the carburetor, where it becomes charged with vapor andisf sues from pipe It as an illuminating or heating gas, the trap n effectually preventing the backflow of the gas to the bell, and the regulator (1 providing for expansion and continuous flow to the burners, as before stated.

Having thus described myinvention,l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a gas-machine, the combination, with the bell b, of the air-trap consisting of cup u, tube 7), stem w, spring 00, and a packing, substantially as herein shown and described.

2. In a gas-machine, the combination, with the bell b and its handle I), of the air'trap consisting of cup a, tube Q7, stem w, spring as, and packing a, substantially as herein shown and described.

3. The gas-trap consisting of case it, standpipe 0, and horizontal pipe 1), also the anglevalve m, and ,conducting'pipe Z, in combination with the carburetor c, substantially as described.

4. The gas-trap consisting of case a, stand pipe 0, horizontal pipe 19, and the stand-pipe q, in combination with the carburetor e and the expansion-regulator d, substantially as de scribed.

buretor e, gasoline-holder c, egrpansion-regulator d, and gas-trap n, for preventing back flow of gas from the carburetor, located above the expansion-regulator and communicatingtherewith and arranged for ready access to it when the bell is removed, substantially as described.

6. The combination. with the carburetor e and a bell, b, and back-pressure trap n, in a gas-machine, of an expansion-regulator con sisting of an inclosed chamber, d, having communication with the water-tank and the gastrap, substantially as described.

7. The combination, with .the expansionregulator d, having communication With the water-tank and gas trap, as described, of the chamber 0, having communication With cham her (1, and also having a vent, h, and adapted for maintaining pressure on the burner when the bell is raised, substantially as described.

8. The improved carburetor, having the spiral partition j, with air and gasoline inlets at the respective ends of the spiral course along said partition, and also having the cross-partitions Z, with air-passages m through them above the fluid-line, and gasoline-passages n below said fluid line, substantially as described.

9. The combination of the cap and pipe connection and cock q with the hell I) and tank Ct of a gas-machine, substantially as de- 5. The combination of tank a, hell 1), carg scribed.

WM. CYRUS STRONG. 

